On the positive side, Butler's accident helped him relate to the surfing enthusiast he plays in "Mavericks." "In the movie, I put in a scene about a 'two-wave hold-down' when you are down for so long that the next wave comes over before you get back up and that’s what happened to me," he explained. "I actually thought they will get me later and resuscitate me. They finally grabbed me just as another huge wave was coming in -- it was just like a movie! In fact, everything I talked about happening in the movie happened to me."